Final Fantasy X: A New Ocean
by Kiamera
Summary: The ending of FFX made me sad, so like the sap I am, I decided to continue where Square left off... Squishy and heartwarming but with mystery and action to come
1. Breakthrough

I hope this plot idea hasn't been overdone... and I started writing this long before I found out about the 15 minute long FMV that Square did as a sequel thing to FFX... I don't really know much about that, I just read a translation of it yesterday. Anyway, I hope this puts a smile on someone's face somewhere!  
  
  
  
A new dream, a new ocean  
  
Blue eyes opened slowly, as if from a long dream.  
  
He floated in the spring for a moment, enjoying the feel of being weightless, free. The light from above played along the ripples creating a spectacular light show all around him. One particularly bright light caught his eye and he swam lazily up towards it. The light was coming from a glowing tree, this one being particularly bright. The sight of it tickled at the distant reaches of his memory. Everything seemed so long ago, so far away. Not this though.  
  
A shimmering butterfly landed on the shore near him, its wings fluttering slightly on the gentle breeze that whispered though the forest. He swam toward it slowly, barely disturbing the water. He watched it for a moment, close enough to see the intricate patterns on its wings for a brief moment before it took flight again. It drifted towards the large tree that encircled the spring with its softly glittering roots. Seeming to take joy just in the act of flying, it would nearly land on one of the sparkling crystals, than dart up again as if unsure if it was ready to land, to end the flight.  
  
At the sight, memories of her swept over his mind, clearing away all else. This spring, where they shared their first kiss, tumbling though the water. Of his journey with her on the pilgrimage, of all the joys and sorrows they shared on that quest. And most of all, what she said to him before he joined his father in that dying dream.  
  
"The dream is over. This is no ending, but a new chapter in my story. Yuna! I'm coming back!"  
  
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The city of Luca was a wonder in itself. Its many ports saw hundreds of people every day, leaving or returning. The Luca theater was quite popular as well, providing music and entertainment for anyone who had gil to spare. However, the massive Blitzball arena was what drew the biggest crowds, and none larger than on the day of Yuna's speach. She gave hope to the people of Spira. Hope of rebirth and rebuilding. Hope for a brighter future now that Sin was gone. Sitting on the steps outside of the arena though, watching all the happy and hope filled people walk by, she felt appart from the rest. Her ornate staff rested on her bent knees, its decorative ribbons and strings of beads danced on the breeze. She clutched it tightly, hands trembling. The speech had gone so well, until the end. No one but her closest friends noticed the small shiver she gave, or the signs of unshed tears when she began to talk about Spira's losses. Of course, everyone had lost something dear to them during the time before the Eternal Calm. It was selfish of her to think of hers as more terrible than the rest. She gripped the staff even tighter, trying to hold back the tears she knew could overtake her at any moment. "Crying won't change anything. It won't help put this world back together," she whispered fiercly. Despite her bravery, she could feel the pain inside. It gnawed at her very heart, threatening to engulf her. Two months. Two short months since Tidus had dissapeared. She wanted to blame the Fayth for ending their dream, but she knew there had been no other possible way to defeat Sin. The life of the whole world, versus one man. Yet part of her regretted the choice she made, though she knew she would not have had it any other way.  
  
Soft, padded footsteps approached her slowly. After knowing him for so long, she knew they belonged to Kimahri, her furry companion. When she didn't look up at him, he crouched in front of her and gently grasped her chin in one of his furry paws and lifted her face to look into her eyes.  
  
"Kimahri no like to see you sad. Yuna need rest. Kimahri carry you to room." He reached towards her to pick her up but she squirmed away.  
  
"I-I'm fine Kimahri. Thank you though." Kimahri considered her for a moment, his yellow eyes intent on her, but filled with a gentle light.  
  
"Kimahri not stupid. Kimahri has lost a love too, long ago."  
  
She stared at him for a moment, dumbstruck. Kimahri? In love? Love. She gasped. The dam had broken at last. She threw herself against his furry bulk, crying into his chest. Kimahri placed his arms about her carefully and let her cry until she could no longer and fell asleep in his arms. He then picked her up as though she were a child and rose to take her to her room. Just before the door he had to stop suddenly to prevent Wakka from crashing into him.  
  
"There she is! Yuna's okay, ya?" A dark glare from Kimahri stilled him and he dropped his voice before asking again. "She finally let it go huh?" Kimahri nodded slightly. "Well, better than keeping it all in, ya? Poor girl." Wakka moved to let Kimahri by and the former Guardian and Summoner disapeared into the room. When the Kimahri emerged, one look at his face told Wakka that the broken horned Ronso wanted to be left alone. He was now the last of his race.  
  
Spira's losses were unfathomable. Wakka himself began to think of his own losses. Chappu, his energetic younger brother. Tidus, who had become like another brother to him. Wakka had planned to hand the Besaid Aurochs to him and retire at last. With Tidus gone though, he had decided to go back to Besaid and coach them himself until he could find a suitable replacement.  
  
Certainly there was no more need for Guardians in the new Spira. With a sigh, he kicked the Blitzball lying at his feet. Helpless, he watched it arc towards a black clothed figure, grazing her hair even though she side stepped to avoid it. She sniffed indignantly and gave him a cold stare.  
  
"Well, Wakka, I was going to tell you that you are thinking too much, but now I'm not sure you are thinking at all. What's gotten into you?"  
  
"Ah, Lu, I'm just not thinkin' straigh, ya know? Sure we saved the world but...Ahh, it just doesn't feel right. This isn't how a heroic story is suposed to end." He stared down at his feet, and kicked the walkway beneath him.  
  
"You see this as an end? Defeating Sin and Yu Yevon did not save Spira. It gave us a chance to save ourselves. No Sin, no Pilgrimage, The church of Yevon is in chaos, families are rebuilding, entire cities being reborn. I hear there are even plans to restore Zanarkand! No Wakka, this is no end." The look she gave him spoke even more of her hope than her words did. Wakka brighted at that and was about to say how he agreed when Lulu began again. "And you Wakka, Where does your story take you next?" This time her look said that she already knew the answer.  
  
"Back to Besaid and the Aurochs. Ahhh don't give me that look Lulu, I cant leave them without a captain, ya?" Lulu tried to stifle a grin behind one of her flowered sleeves, but gave up the effort.  
  
"Of course. I was rather planning on returning there as well. I do not know what Yuna has decided to do. I assume Kimahri will still follow her, maybe Rikku as well." Her expresion retured to it's usual stoic look. "I have some things I need to take care of as well." Wakka simply nodded at her. "She was going back to say goodbye to Chappu. Where would she go then? Just another Guardian without a Summoner to guide and protect now, like he was. They were all like driftwood, floating on a shining sea. Scattered, yet all destined to drift back to the same shore...  
  
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	2. A New journey

Yuna opened her eyes to an unfamiliar room. Framed pictures of Blitzball players in dramatic poses lined the walls. The one closest to her was a team photo, listed as the Luca Goers. She slowly began to remember the night before. She had given the speech to the citizens of Spira. And she had cried. Finally. She really did feel a little better. Her heart still ached though. Love wasn't meant to be like this, was it? Nothing but endless sorrow.  
  
No! I need to stop thinking about it like that! She had been so optimistic, even when she was sure she would have to die to save Spira. Despite facing her own death, she was able to laugh and smile. To feel joy. But then, Tidus was with her. It was because of him that she was able to make it through some of the worst times. His strength and sense of humor had always kept her going, despite the odds.  
  
With a sigh, she pulled the blankets tightly around her, trying to make a cacoon to shut out everything else. Trying to go back to sleep. In sleep she could either forget about her sorrow, or dream herself into a world where she was happy again. She saw his face often in her dreams. Those blue eyes, like a secret lagoon in the most perfect paradise. A crystaline sky, cloudless. He stretched his arm out towards her, eyes flashing like a becon. This time though, the dream was different.  
  
Flashes of color danced fitfully across a surreal dreamscape. Tidus, running as though from an unseen enemy. "Yuna! I'm coming!" he shouted, voice pained. She ran to him, ran with all her strength. Glowing trees flashed by, becoming streaks of color if she did not focus on them properly. Shining crystals lined the path, giving off a quiet light, oblivious to the chaos around them.  
  
Makalania forest... why...? The air she breathed now seared her lungs as though from a forge fire. Her heart beat came loudly to her ears, drowning out the sound of her footfalls upon the undergrowth and ancient shed leaves. Her body wanted to give out on her, to throw her onto the ground and sleep there forever, but she was catching up to him. Just a little faster, just work a little harder, come on!  
  
Time seemed to slow around her as she accelerated. Tidus had stopped his running suddenly, though mid-stride and in an impossible position. Surprised to have caught up with him so quickly, she ran past him for three long strides before she came to a halt and turned to face him. He still stood there, balanced on the toes of one foot, the rest of his body suspended in air seemingly. His expression was one of horror and agony, and it too remained unchanging. Yuna reached to touch him, the simple action suddenly like moving in tar. The air itself seemed to have hardened somehow. With each inch closer she got to him, moving became harder and harder. The very air was resisting her!  
  
"NOOOO! Tidus! I need you!" she screamed, pushing even harder against the invisible barrier. The space between them lessened slowly, though he was still agonizingly far away. She pushed her way towards him, trying harder still, straining every muscle in her body. For the briefest moment, she felt her fingertips brush against soft fabric, then skin. However, before she could even realize what happened, a flash of white light engulfed her. Icy cold enveloped her, lasting for less then a second, then it was gone. She was standing several feet away from Tidus, his body still frozen in that impossible position. A wordless yell escaped her, sheer agony and despair. She had been so close to him! Deep parts of her brain knew she had managed to touch him, if only briefly. Before she could throw herself at him again, the air began to visibly thicken before her, taking on a life of its own. It formed itself slowly into a humanoid figure, born of the air. As the transformation continued, the figure became more lifelike, more human. When at last fully formed, Yuna could still not tell if it was male of female, yet it was beautiful nonetheless. She stiffly stood there, gazing at it, paralyzed by a mixture of awe and despair. When at last it spoke, its voice was like the softest summer breeze. A mixture of power and gentleness.  
  
"Finally, I have the honor of meeting you Lady Yuna. I have been seeking you for quite some time, but since you had locked up your emotions, the quest was futile. Now at last, we are here together in this dream. I thank you, Lady Summoner." Despite the strangeness of it, the creature's voice soothed her somewhat. Still, she could think of nothing to say. I'm not a Summoner any longer. There are no more Summoners at all. I had to destroy all the Aeons, kill all the Fayth, to save Spira. Yet another terrible loss... She remembered that last battle, forcing the Aeons she had bonded with to fight and destroy one another. It was the only way that Yu Yevon could have been defeated, and also the reason that Tidus no longer existed. The creature began to speak once more.  
  
"Lady Yuna, the Fayth cannot be killed. Our deepest souls are bound to this planet's lifeforce. We took a hand in the battle as well, but paid a dear price for it. As did you, I know. The dream of the old Fayth ended once the battle was over, but as you know, dreams cannot die." Yuna gasped at those words. Could he really still be alive?Even the Fayth too? The hope was almost too much to bear after so much sadness. The figure began to change again, becoming a winged creature, though still beautiful. The wings stretched out to either side of a large feathered body, and their pinions showed a spread of magnificent color. Red, orange, yellow, and purple, all shining vividly. A feeling of peace and warmth spread over her at the sight, and the being spoke yet again.  
  
"Yes Lady Yuna, we live again, reborn by the hope of Spira. The light of hope that you brought them has brought forth a new hope for us as well. My name is Phoenix. I am the spirit of life reborn, and the fire of strong hearts. Come, begin the pilgrimage anew, and restore us to our former glory. We wish to help rebuild this world as well! And yes Yuna, the dream lives again. Where, I do not know. That you are destined to come together again, is as certain as the sun rising each morning of your journey. Go forth Lady Yuna! Return to your beginning, and follow your heart from there! There is no ending at the end of this journey, only hope and joy!" With that, the creature, Phoenix, burst into fantastic multicolored flame. Many gleaming pyreflies appeared from the flames, their numbers increasing as the fires waned. At last, the pyreflies disappeared as well, leaving Yuna to drift upon the deep blue sea of dreams. 


End file.
